International Mother Tongue Day

Good morning/Sanibona/Molweni/Goeie mÔre
Today we are celebrating International Mother Tongue Day which was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 (30c/62). On 16 May 2009 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people of the world”. By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

International Mother Tongue Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

Note that in KwaZulu-Natal there are four official languages which are: isiZulu, English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans and DUT approved in 2010 the Language Policy which promotes multilingualism. I hope you will always support multilingualism and communicate in different languages!

Nibe nosuku oluhle! Have a wonderful day!

Ozithobayo
Lolie Makhubu
HOD: Media, Language & Communication (Language & Translation)